I’m an RPN in Ontario, Canada, and something happened 2 hours ago that I can’t stop thinking about. I’m hoping other nurses, especially anyone familiar with Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), can offer some insight. I had a patient pass away from an expected death. As part of our postmortem process, I contacted TGLN to report the death and determine potential donation eligibility. During the conversation, I mentioned that the patient had a documented history of dementia. The coordinator then told me they would be closing the case because of the patient’s Alzheimer’s dementia. Here’s what’s bothering me: I never said the patient had Alzheimer’s disease. Their medical history only documented dementia, without specifying the type. At the time, I didn’t think to correct the coordinator or clarify that Alzheimer’s wasn’t a confirmed diagnosis. I simply accepted that they were closing the case. Now I’m worried that the coordinator may have assumed dementia meant Alzheimer’s, and that my failure to clarify could have affected the patient’s eligibility for tissue donation. I’ve been researching exclusion criteria and found that Alzheimer’s disease can be an exclusion, but I’m having difficulty determining whether unspecified dementia is also an automatic exclusion in Ontario. I’m wondering: Is unspecified dementia itself a contraindication for tissue donation? Would you have corrected the coordinator when they referred to Alzheimer’s? Could this have affected the donation decision, or would the case likely have been closed regardless? I know the donation organization ultimately determines eligibility, and I accurately reported what was documented in the chart. But I keep wishing I’d spoken up and clarified the diagnosis. I’d really appreciate perspectives from nurses or donation coordinators who have experience with this process.   submitted by   /u/Dizzy_Crazy_8015 [link]   [comments]